Next Portugal Manager Odds

According to reports, Portugal manager Fernando Santos is set to be sacked as manager of his national side following their exit shock exit to Morocco in the quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup.

The 68-year-old has taken charge of 109 matches since becoming Os Navegadores manager in September 2014, winning 67, drawing 23 and losing 19, seeing Santos potentially leave with a win percentage of 61.47%.

Since initially taking over as coach from Paulo Bento, the Portuguese national team have improved significantly in terms of player quality, but, Santos was arguably at his best when managing Portugal as an underdog.

Santos memorably led Portugal to a shock Euro 2016 triumph, as well as to being the first national team to win the Nations League in 2018/19 - making him the most successful Portugal manager of all time.

Here we take a look at potential replacements for Santos.

AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho is the favourite for the job having been reportedly offered the chance to take on the role as manager of the Portuguese national team simultaneously with his club role.

Mourinho is one of the most decorated managers in world football having won a total of 26 major honours at club level with the likes of FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and current side Roma, with his most recent trophy being the inaugural Europa Conference League last season with the Giallorossi.

With a national team being the only thing Mourinho is missing from his CV, could he be tempted to take on the reigns and manage Portugal at Euro 2024 and maybe even the 2026 World Cup?

FC Porto manager Sergio Conceicao could also be another viable option for the Portuguese national team having done so well with the Liga NOS outfit.

Conceicao has been in charge of Porto since June 2017, overseeing 295 matches, winning 212 and drawing 44, seeing the 48-year-old have a win percentage of 71.86%. The ex-Parma and Inter Milan midfielder has managed to win eight honours with Porto since joining, with three of them being Primeira Liga titles, as well as two Taca de Portugals and three Supertaca Candido de Oliveira.

With Conceicao currently residing in Portugal, there is even the possibility that he could manage both his club and country if he was to be appointed.

Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim has been one of the most highly touted managers around in recent months, having been linked to jobs ranging from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Manchester United prior to the appointment of Erik ten Hag.

The 37-year-old has had an impressive start to life as a manager, having won four honours in two and a half seasons at Sporting Lisbon, including their first league title in 19 years during the 2020/21 campaign.

Prior to his time at Sporting, Amorim managed Braga’s B team, winning eight and drawing two of 11 matches, before taking over the senior side in December 2019, overseeing ten wins and one draw in 13 matches - attracting interest from suitors, including current employers, Sporting.

Having spent a lot of his younger managerial career in Portugal, could Venezuelan coach Leonardo Jardim be in line for a chance as Portugal's next manager?

Jardim currently manages Shabab Al-Ahli in Dubai, fresh from winning the Saudi Super Cup and AFC Champions League with Al Hilal last year.

The 48-year-old memorably made his name when he won Ligue 1 with AS Monaco back in 2016/17, nurturing a number of highly talented players such as Fabinho, Bernardo Silva, Kylian Mbappe and more. This generation of stars at Monaco also saw the club reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, knocking out the likes of Manchester City in the Round of 16.

The final manager on this list is Santos’ predecessor, Paulo Bento, who recently left his role as manager of South Korea.

Bento showed terrific managerial skills as he lead the Tigers of Asia to the Round of 16 at the World Cup, having finished as runners-up in Group H. This was following a 2-1 victory over Portugal on matchday three which saw Korea finish ahead of both Uruguay and Ghana.

As manager of Portugal between September 2010 and September 2014, Bento won 26 and drew 12 of 47 matches. Bento also had success back home with Sporting between October 2005 and November 2009, winning six trophies. In between his spells as Portugal's boss and South Korea's coach, the 53-year-old managed the likes of Cruzeiro, Olympiacos and Chongqing Lifan.